Gas-regulator



(No Model.) 2 S'hets-Sheet 1.. J. H. HELM GAS REGULATOR.

No. 370,619. Patented Sept. 27, 1887,

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. H. 'HELM.

GAS REGULATOR. V No. 370,619. Patent-ed Sept. 27, 1887.

ZLWYQ ZQ UNITED STATES PATENT Grrron.

J. HENRY HELM, OF ALLEGHENY CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAS-REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 370,619, datedSeptember 27, 1887.

Application filed July 19, 1887. Serial No. 244,770. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J. HENRY HELM, of Allegheny City, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Gas-Regulators; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in gas-regulators; and itconsists in, first, the combination of a suitable valve or valves whichcontrol the flow of the gas through the regulator, a perforated slideconnected to the valve,

v the valve.

and a vertically-moving tube having suitable inclines formed upon thestem or rod which is secured to its lower end, and the weighteddiaphragm which is connected to the tube; second, the combination of thevalve or valves which control the flow of gas through the regulator, aperforated slide connected thereto, a tube or rod connected to theweighted diaphragm, and which has inclined surfaces to operate thevalve, and has its lower end to pro ject downthrough an opening inthebottom of the regulator; third, the arrangement and.

combination of parts, which will be more fully described hereinafter,and set forth in the claims.

The object of my invention is to operate the valves which control theflow of gas through the regulator by means of a rod which has inclinedsurfaces formed upon its sides, so that the rising or the falling of theweighted diaphragm will open or close the valves, and to so constructthe register that when the gas is shut off from. the main the regulatorwill at once close, so as to prevent the flow of gas to the burner afterthe gas is again turned onto the main.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a gas-regulator embodying, myinvention. Fig. 2 is a detached horizontal section taken through thevalves. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through A represents a suitableframe-work of any desired construction, but which is here shown as beingmade in four different parts, which parts are connected togethergas-tight, so as to prevent leakage at any point. Through the frame-workis made the inlet B, through which the gas enters the regulator, andplaced in or opposite to this opening is a strainer, 0, made of anysuitable perforated material, and which has inclined sides for the gasto strike against. Should the gas carry along with it pieces of dirt,sand, or scale, they will strike the inclined sides of the strainer, bedeflected off, and then fall into the bottom of the framework. If thisstrainer extends vertically across the opening, these pieces of dirt,sand, or scale would be blown directly against the openings, or throughthem if small enough, and thus gradually clog the strainer up. As longas these particles strike the inclined sides they are thrown off, andhence the strainer never becomes clogged to any appreciable extent,while it prevents the particles from interfering with the working partsof the regulator.

As here shown, two valves,'D, are connected together and will preferablybe used; but this is a mere matter of choice, for only a single valvemay be used, if so preferred. These valves may either be of the same orof unequal size, as desired. Projectingfrom the end of the inner valveis a screw-rod, E, of suitable length, and upon which is placed thegrooved regulating-nut F. This nut is grooved upon its sides, so as toallow the hooked ends of the slide G to catch over it, and thus adaptthe slide to be adjusted endwise in relation to the valves. If it isdesired that the valves shall close quickly, the nut is screwed backupon the rod, so as not to give the valves as much movement; but if itis desired that the valves shall close more slowly, and thus allow agreater amount of gas to pass through the regulator, the nut is screwedup closer to the end of the valve, and then the valves are given agreater amount of play. A slide, G, passes through openings made inopposite sides of the vertical guide G, formed as a part of the lowerdiaphragm-case, and through this slide is formed an opening, as shown inFig. 2, so as to allow the rod 1, having inclined surfaces upon both ofits sides, to play up and down through the slide for the purpose ofopening and closing the valves, and thereby control the flow of gasthrough the regulator. This rod I is formed upon the lower end of thepipe J, and the inclined surfaces upon opposite sides are such that whenthe rod I is raised by the pressure of the inflowing gas against thebottom of the weighted diaphragm the valve is gradually closed inproportion to the distance the diaphragm is raised upward, and when thegas is shut off entirely from any cause the weighted diaphragm forcesthe rod downward, and then the upper incline closes the valves D untilthey are again opened by hand. The gas passes through the frame, so asto bear against the under side of the diaphragm, either through anopening shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, or it may pass around the pipeJ, as may be preferred. The lower inclines serve to regulate thedistance that the valves shall open, and thus regulate the amount of gaswhich shall pass through the regulator,while the upper incline onlycloses the valve in case the gas from the main isshut ofi entirely. Theupper incline closes the valves and holds them closed, so as to preventthe admittance of any gas to the regulator in case the gas is againturned on from the main, and thus prevents all accidents arising fromgas flowing through open burners into the house. After the gas has oncebeen shut off it can only be turned on through the regulator again byraising the diaphragmby hand.

The diaphragm and the weight, R, placed thereon are attached to the pipeJ in the usual manner. Upon the upper end of the pipe J is placed anescape-valve, B, through which the gas escapes when the pressure exceedsa certain regulated amount. Secured to the upper surface of the weightis a rod, T, which extends up through an opening in the top of the frameA, which opening is to be closed or covered over by the cap U, whichsurrounds the upper end of the rod. The upper end of this rod is notchedor recessed, and pivoted in this recess is a suitable catch or stop, V,which can be turned upward at right angles to the rod when so desired,and thus act as a stop to prevent the weighted diaphragm from droppingbelow a certain point. When this catch or stop is not turned upward, asshown in dotted lines, it remains in a line with the rod, and then therod can be dropped downward as far as the weighted diaphragm will carryit. If the catch is not turned upward,as shown in dotted lines,and thepressure of the gas in the main falls below acertain regulated amount,then the weighted diaphragm sinks downward far enough to instantly closethe valves, and thus prevents the ingress of gas into the regulator whenthe gas is again turned on in the main. When the pressure of gas in themain falls below the regulated amount, but is not entirely shut off, andthe consumers wish to get the benefit of what there is then in themain,the catch in the upper end of the rod is turned outward, as shownin dotted lines, and this catch then serves as a stop to prevent theweighted diaphragm from closing the valve.

Through the bottom of the frame is made an opening, 0, through which thelower end of the rod I plays vertically. Around the lower end of theextension upon the bottom of the frame through which the opening is madeis placed a suitable elastic covering, 1?, down to which the end of therod I sinks when the gas is shut off. In order to open the regulator soas to again allow the gas to flow through, the finger must be applied tothe lower end of the rod under the elastic covering, so as to force therod and weighted diaphragm upward, thus causing the upper incline uponthe rod to open the valves D, and thus again admit the gas.

It will be seen that the parts which constitute my invention are few andsimple and are not easily gotten out of order and will lastindefinitely. The only wear which comes upon any of the parts is in themovement of' the rod I through the slide which operates the valves. Asthe rod I, having inclined surfaces,acts upon the slide with a wedgemovement, all liability of having the diaphragm flutter is entirely doneaway with, and hence no separate frictional or other device such as isshown in my patent of December 7, 1886, need ever be employed for thepurpose of preventing the diaphragm from having a pulsating movement.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a gas-regulator, thecombination of a weighted diaphragm, a rod having inclined surfacesconnected to and operated thereby, a

slide which is operated by the movement of the rod, and the valves whichcontrol the flow of the gas through the regulator, substantially asshown.

2. In a gas-regulator, the combination of the valves which control theflow of the gas through the regulator, a slide connected to the valves,and a vertically moving rod having two separate inclines formed in orupon it, and which inclines operate the valves through the slide,substantially as described.

3. The combination of the frame A of the regulator, having an opening,0, through its lower end, the rod I, projecting downward from theweighted diaphragm and having its lower end to extend into or throughthe opening 0, the valves placed at an angle to the rod but connectedthereto, and a flexible covering, P, which is placed over the opening,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the rod having inclined surfaces and the weighteddiaphragm connected thereto with the slide having hooked ends, thegrooved nut, and the valves having a screw-thread formed upon one end,substantially as specified.

5. The combination of a weighted diaphragm, a rod connected thereto andhaving from sinking downward beyond a certain [0 I inclined orwedge-shaped surfaces, a slide, point, substantially as described.and'the valves, whereby the valves are opened In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in and closed by a wedge movement, substanpresence oftwo witnesses. tially as shown.

6. The combination of the weighted dia HENRY HELM' phragm, a rodconnected thereto and extend- Witnesses: ing through the top of theframe, and a catch A. S. PATTISON, which can be made to prevent thediaphragm F. A. LEHMANN.

